When he started taking edible cannabis to treat his osteoarthritis Mr Neilsen became convinced of the medical benefits of cannabis. The drug worked so good for him that he needed to offer the chance to to attempt it to other individuals.

“It should be laboratory technicians, chemists and physicians who do it [sell cannabis for medicinal use] under restricted conditions,” he told BT. “I’m no trained specialist, but I ‘ve some principles and I stand by them.”

He said he’d customers all over Denmark who suffered from ailments including fibromyalgia, sclerosis and cancer.

Mr Nielsen and his wife have been charged under Denmark’s narcotics laws, and face a maximum potential term of 10 years in penitentiary. The couple complained about the fact their trial wasn’t made public, and Mr Nielsen said he needed folks to understand what occurs in the case.

“The people is conscious of this case so there’s nothing secret about it and he’s spoken out about his company,” Mr Kaya said. “There’s also a documentary being made about him, so there’s nothing to conceal as far as he’s worried.”

Mr Kaya said that cannabis is sold by his customer to put pressure on the state to alter its outlook on medicinal cannabis and to help sick people.

“Claus hasn’t concealed… what he does and he understood it was prohibited. That’s why he’s confessed his guilt,” the lawyer continued. “But he’sn’t done it to earn money and be a criminal mastermind. He’s done it in broad day and been open and frank about it.”

Legalising cannabis for medicinal use was debated in recent months. One area of Denmark agreed to a provisional strategy in August to start prescribing cannabis for medicinal use. Danish media also reported in the summer the health minister Sophie Løhde is contemplating a four-year-long national trial of legalising cannabis that was medical.

A survey found in June that 88 per cent of Danes support legalising cannabis for medicinal use. A small majority are also in favour of legalising cannabis for recreational use, according to other surveys.

In 2014, several Danish parties signed a political deal on pain alleviation to ring-fence funds for “research projects, including using medicinal cannabis”.